Snow Angel
by LeighBee
Summary: “I love you too Mommy!” Julie looked up at her mother with the brightest eyes and widest smile she had ever seen. She looked so innocent and peaceful at that very moment. It would be forever embedded in Andrea’s memory.


Snow Angel

"What did you ask Santa to bring you for Christmas Julie?" Her mother asked her as she put her favorite Tinkerbell ornament on the Christmas tree. Julie was four years old and it has always been a tradition in the Dekker household to decorate the tree on Christmas Eve while listening to Christmas carols on the radio and enjoying the comfort and warmth of hot chocolate and eggnog. Julie loved eggnog.

"You know what I asked Santa for Mommy. You helped me write my list." The child giggled as she picked up another ornament. Her mom remembered down to the signature what her daughter had written on her letter or well, what she had demanded her mother to write for her since she had only just learned to write her name.

_Dear Santa,_

_My name is Julie Dekker. I'm four years old. I don't really know what I want for Christmas this year. I've been going through a lot and Mommy and Daddy have been sad lately but I don't want them to be. I guess I want you to make them happy for Christmas. And snow…I really like snow but it never snows. Could you bring me that Santa?_

_Love,_

_Julie Dekker_

_P.S. Oh, Mommy and me will make you some cookies but you have to get here early so Daddy won't eat them all!_

Julie's family lived in southern California where it never snowed or rained that much. Most of the time, it was sunny which kind of fit Julie's personality. She was a bubbly child and even as a baby, she always loved to laugh. She always found something positive about anything that happened to her or her family or to anyone for that matter. She was so giving and caring. She never really asked for anything. She always wanted to give. But Julie really wanted to see snow for some odd reason and it broke her mother's heart to know she might not ever get that opportunity.

Andrea sighed at the memory of helping Julie write her letter to Santa. One of the few she would cherish. "You're so silly, Julie bear." If only her husband could be here to see their little girl but he was called into work at the last minute. "You asked Santa for snow didn't you?"

"Yes I did." She replied with a determined look about her.

"And why do you want it to snow so bad?"

"You know…" She stared at her mother like she was supposed to know everything.

"But I want you to tell me."

"I wanna make a snow angel, mommy."

"Oh really? Because they're pretty?"

"Yes, like you are."

On the verge of tears, her mother said, "But Julie baby, what if Santa runs out of snow and he can't bring you any this year?"

"He will one day." Julie looked straight at her mother and her eyes radiated hope.

The camera shook a little and the screen went blank.

____________________________________________________________________________________

"I miss her so much John." Andrea looked up at her husband with tear filled eyes. "She never made her snow angel. She never got the snow she wished for. She didn't even have time to lose her hair. All she wanted was snow! Why?!" She buried her head in her husband's chest. "A mother isn't supposed to bury her child."

Julie died from leukemia on her fifth birthday exactly a month after her mother videotaped her hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree.

"I know honey…but think of all the wonderful blessings we have now and the ones she gave us. She may be gone in body but she's always going to be here in our memories. And she might not have gotten what she wanted for Christmas but think of all the good things she has now. I bet she's making a snow angel right now and she's probably laughing at you for watching this video tape over and over again."

While consoling his wife, John felt a kick come from her stomach. Andrea smiled. "She gave us this too huh?"

____________________________________________________________________________________

As she lay in the arms of her husband that night, she remembered the last time her daughter was in her own bed.

"I'm sleepy." Julie said as she hung the last ornament.

Her mother glanced at the clock and it read 6:00. Since Julie started undergoing treatments, she'd been going to bed earlier and earlier every night. After going through several treatments which stopped working after only a month and visiting several specialists, they decided not to prolong the inevitable. It was the hardest decision her parents ever had to make.

"Are you ready to go to bed baby?" Julie shook her head, yes and rubbed her eyes.

Andrea put away the video camera and scooped her baby girl up in her arms to take her to her bedroom. After singing Julie's favorite Christmas song, reading her favorite Christmas book, and tucking her in, Andrea stood to turn off the light.

"I love you my angel." She kissed her daughter on the cheek as a silent tear fell down her own.

"I love you too Mommy!!" Julie looked up at her mother with the brightest eyes and widest smile she had ever seen. She looked so innocent and peaceful at that very moment. It would be forever embedded in Andrea's memory.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"John, do you really think she's happy?"

"I know she is."

It started to snow and instantly, she knew wherever Julie was she was at peace.

A/N: Just wanted to let you guys know that this story isn't a true one but I know it happens everyday. I didn't want to go into detail about a mother's grief either because for one, I'm not a mother so I don't know and secondly, I thought it would take away from the innocence and the message I was trying to convey in this story. A message of hope and faith. I think each of us, especially at Christmastime, should take a step back and realize the many blessings we do have and not what we think we should have. It isn't about the money, or shiny jewelry, or that expensive car you've been eyeing…it's about faith, hope, and togetherness. Jesus said we should all come as little children and that's what I tried to get across when I wrote this. So don't worry about the things you can't or don't have, want the things you do have. Merry Christmas!! 


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